jamadhar katari???

[weapons 27]

can you tell me below this dagger can be considered a jamadhar katari...

It is 38cm long, blade 26cm, the tip is reinforced as the katars

[RSWORD]

Certainly not an original one. Looks like a composite piece. The blade looks like it is from a spearhead. The handle doesn't look like it is very old and the big question is when were the two components married together.

[weapons 27]

I just cleaned this dagger, he was recovering with a varnish, see photo

[estcrh]

It is hard to tell but is there a casting line on the handle?

[Jim McDougall]

This is a jamadhar katari, a distinct dagger form associated with the Kalash people (also known as Kaffirs) from Chitral regions in Hindu Kush area.
I do believe the hilts on these were typically cast, and I agree this does appear to be a spearhead. The blade bolster resembling many katars and the khandas seem to suggest this coming from regions somewhat south.

The Kaffirs were the tribal people who were situated in Kafiristan (known from Kiplings "Man Who Would be King" ) and many left there into Chitral in late 19th c. when Abdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan invaded there. Thier animist beliefs of course highly conflicted with those imposed by Khan leading to thier dispora.

The history of the Kalash is most fascinating. Apparantly many of these daggers seem to appear in Nepal as I was told by a German collector particularly intrigued by these.

[weapons 27]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

This is a jamadhar katari, a distinct dagger form associated with the Kalash people (also known as Kaffirs) from Chitral regions in Hindu Kush area.
I do believe the hilts on these were typically cast, and I agree this does appear to be a spearhead. The blade bolster resembling many katars and the khandas seem to suggest this coming from regions somewhat south.

The Kaffirs were the tribal people who were situated in Kafiristan (known from Kiplings "Man Who Would be King" ) and many left there into Chitral in late 19th c. when Abdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan invaded there. Thier animist beliefs of course highly conflicted with those imposed by Khan leading to thier dispora.

The history of the Kalash is most fascinating. Apparantly many of these daggers seem to appear in Nepal as I was told by a German collector particularly intrigued by these.

Thanks for the info jim

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

I agree this does appear to be a spearhead.

Jim good information, thanks. Do you or anyone else have an example of an Indian spearhead that looks like this, I have not seen one and it would be nice to see something to compare it against.

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

The history of the Kalash is most fascinating. Apparantly many of these daggers seem to appear in Nepal as I was told by a German collector particularly intrigued by these.

As Jim has noted and the mentioned German Collector, these are seen in temples in Nepal. Back in 2009 Simon shared images of a temple within the Kirtipur Palace that has these and many others mounted to the temple.

When comparing forms, the form of this example points to a composite type, perhaps old, perhaps quite new and aged

The weapons make for a very interesting study.

Gavin

[weapons 27]

Originally Posted by estcrh

It is hard to tell but is there a casting line on the handle?

This did not a casting line, it is just more polished!!!!

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by weapons 27

This did not a casting line, it is just more polished!!!!

Yes its hard to tell from the photographs. So does the hilt appear to be forged or cast in your opinion.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by weapons 27

can you tell me below this dagger can be considered a jamadhar katari...

It is 38cm long, blade 26cm, the tip is reinforced as the katars

Salaams weapons 27, from atkinsons swords

Please see http://atkinson-swords.com/collectio...ghanistan.html

Quote. "There is much debate about the origin of the name and in fact which name is “correct” (jamadhar, jandad, jamdhar, jumdud). The spelling jamdhar seems to indicate Hindi origin yet “Jamdar” may also be a Persian word with the suggested etymology of janb-dar, that is, 'flank render.'

The jamadhar katari is attributed to the Kafirs, an ethnic group located in the southern part of the Hindu Kush valleys, just across the border from Chitral, Pakistan. Today, this is a region of Afghanistan known historically as Kafiristan and today as Nurestan (Nuristan, Nooristan).

The Kafirs are thought to be descendants of an old Indian population that used to occupy the region and did not convert to Islam with the rest of the population. They sometimes claim to be descended from Alexander the Great who passed through the area; he only subdued the Kafirs after a great struggle. Their physical appearance is quite distinct from the Pashtun tribes in Afghanistan, for example, which may lend their claim some credence.

Until they were forcefully converted to Islam around 1895 by Emir Abdur Rahman Khan, the people of the region practiced an ancient Indo-Iranian polytheistic religion. Non-Muslim practices endure today as folk customs. The word "Kafir" is derived from the ancient Sanskrit name of the region that included historic Kafiristan. This may in turn relate to the Arabic word "Kufr", which means not only to disbelieve but also to blaspheme. Its derivative "Kafir" means one who commits blasphemy. Today, the people are known as Nuristanis to outsiders although they do not have a formal tribal structure such as the Pashtun's. Instead, they designate themselves by the names of the local regions where they live".Unquote.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi